Powys County Council Report for Vale of Grwyney


Report by Powys County Councillor Chloe Masefield – November 2025

Contents

Powys County Councillor Report – November 2025
Local news. 1
Community Transport 1
Crickhowell post-16. 1
Powys news. 2
Over 9,000 Child Trust Funds unclaimed in Powys – young people urged to check. 2
Impact of changes to recycling in Powys. 2
More social care staff recruited to cut hospital delays. 3
Council tax – payments still required during property valuation appeals. 4
AI innovation set to transform reading progression for learners in Powys. 4
Public Perceptions Survey from Dyfed Powys Police: We Need Your Viewpoint 5
Powys County Council leads cross-border initiative to boost visitor economy. 5
Mid Wales projects move into prototype stage to deliver real-world clean energy solutions. 6
‘Home Safe Home’ 7
‘Leave only pawprints’: Powys County Council teams up with Keep Wales Tidy to tackle dog fouling  8
‘Get Cosmetic Confident 8
‘Avoid Christmas Catastrophe’ 10
Cases. 11

Local news

Community Transport

The Crickhowell & District Community Transport Group are encouraging residents to sign up to the electric car club to get a community owned car for residents to hire. More details available here.  The group have also approached the National Lottery to apply for a grant for the pilot project with Dial A Ride. Discussions are ongoing as to how this will run.

Crickhowell post-16

The next phase of the post-16 review by Powys County Council is taking place. This focuses on learners and parents and also includes teaching staff and governors. There will be a third phase early in the new year where communities can get involved. Please encourage all parents and learners to complete the survey.

Timetable

Any changes to post-16 education provision are not expected to be implemented before 2030. The table below provides a summary of the indicative timeline for the engagement process.

  • Cabinet approved informal engagement  – May 2025
  • Engagement – Phase 1 – Staff and Governors – June – July 2025 
  • Engagement – Phase 2 – Learners, Parents/Carers, Headteachers, Governors, Regional Skills Partnership, Other Providers. – September – December 2025 
  • Outcome of engagement and updated options appraisal to identify short listed options – Spring Term 2026
  • Engagement – Phase 3 – Open engagement for anyone to provide feedback on short listed options – Summer Term 2026
  • Cabinet to consider feedback from engagement and identify preferred way forward – Autumn Term 2026

Powys news

Over 9,000 Child Trust Funds unclaimed in Powys – young people urged to check

The Share Foundation specifically supports young people to find and claim their trust fund. Their free online tool allows you to check if you have an account. To find out if you have a Child Trust Fund visit https://findctf.sharefound.org/

You’ll need your National Insurance Number, but if you don’t know it, Meic Cymru can help. For more information on Child Trust Funds, visit https://www.meiccymru.org/do-you-have-money-hiding-in-a-child-trust-fund/, text 84001 or call 080880 23456

Impact of changes to recycling in Powys

Question:

Following an informative visit to the Brecon depot and a tour of the recycling centre, could the Portfolio Holder provide an update on the impact of the removal of bring sites for cardboard and small electrical items? Specifically:

Has the Council recorded any change in levels of fly-tipping since the bring sites were removed?

Has there been an increase in the number of businesses signing up to the Council’s waste and recycling collection services, given that some businesses were previously using the bring sites free of charge to dispose of cardboard?

 If so, has this led to an increase in income to the Council?

Minutes:

Response by the Cabinet Member:

Thank you for your question and I am pleased you found the visit and tour informative.

The number of reported flytips varies significantly from month to month and year on year with no particular pattern following any service changes. There were 412 reported flytips in 2024/25, compared to 377 in 2023/24 and 508 in 2022/23.  The cardboard banks were removed in October 2024.  Bring sites, whilst convenient for residents, are regularly abused with irresponsible flytipping and also illegal use by businesses as you have suggested.  Removal of the sites does generally solve the problem of flytipping at those particular locations.

As regards an increase in businesses signing up to the Council’s Commercial Recycling Service, the Workplace Recycling Regulations were introduced in April 2024 which obligated businesses to separate their waste and recycling for collection.  This has resulted in a significant increase in recycling from our Commercial collections.  As the banks were removed during the time when businesses were signing up for recycling collections due to the regulations, it is difficult to attribute the individual effect, but undoubtedly it has contributed to the increase.   At the end of 2023/24, there were 1410 commercial recycling customers with a recycling rate of 57.3% from this service.  This rose to 1545 customers with a recycling rate for commercial collections of 63.6% at the end of 2024/25.

The Commercial Recycling Service operates on a cost neutral basis as required under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, where a reasonable charge can be made by the local authority.  Prior to the introduction of the Workplace Recycling Regulations, we reduced the available frequency of residual collections to encourage the take up of recycling amongst our customers.  There was also a restructuring of the pricing model to ensure that all costs of collection and processing were recovered.  The service is now operating on a break even basis providing excellent value to our customers.  Businesses are of course free to use any service provider but must still adhere to the separation requirements of the Workplace Recycling Regulations.

More social care staff recruited to cut hospital delays

Extra social care staff have been recruited to cut delays for Powys residents who are ready to leave hospital but have care needs.

They include social workers, occupational therapists and enablement assessors who have been added to the county council’s Hospital and Front Door Teams, after it received a £1.3 million Pathways of Care Transformation Grant from the Welsh Government.

The extra social workers will allow the Hospital Team to cover community hospitals as well as district general hospitals (major hospitals), while the extra occupational therapists and enablement assessors will allow the Front Door Team to provide independence support to more people, including therapies where needed.

The council will also be allowing professionals, other than its own social workers, to make care assessments across the county, after trialling the approach in two residential homes. To make this happen it will be appointing a dedicated project officer who will work in partnership with colleagues in Powys Teaching Health Board.

Fees are also going to be paid in advance to some privately employed home care workers, as a retainer, to help secure their service in rural parts of the county, where provision has previously been patchy. And at the same time, the council will be reviewing its contracts with private care agencies, to see if tweaks to terms and conditions, and performance measures, can deliver further improvements.

The council will also be investing more money in prevention measures, through its Home Support service, aimed at cutting hospital admissions in the first place, and extending the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) app for transcribing assessments into all teams, including for partners working as trusted assessors.

The Pathways of Care Transformation Grant has seen £30 million allocated to county councils across Wales to spend on community-based social care during the current financial year.

The Welsh Government asked that Powys spends its share on reducing the number of people waiting for:

  • Social worker allocation
  • Completion of assessment by social care
  • The start of a new community care package funded by social care
  • A reablement community care package

More information on working in social care in Powys:

More information on accessing support and advice:

Council tax – payments still required during property valuation appeals 

Residents in Powys are being reminded that council tax payments remain due and must be paid as normal, even if a property is subject to an appeal with the Valuation Office Agency.

Customers who are appealing their property’s valuation are encouraged to contact the Council’s Revenues Team on 01597 827463 to discuss setting up a repayment plan. If an appeal is successful, any overpayments will be refunded.

AI innovation set to transform reading progression for learners in Powys 

A new AI-powered tool is set to make a real difference to learners across Powys, helping schools personalise reading support and improve literacy outcomes, the county council has said.

Developed through a collaborative effort between Powys County Council’s Education and Digital Services, the Reading Assessment and Text Transformation Tool is a digital resource designed to empower teachers and support pupils in their reading progression.

The initiative highlights the council’s commitment to using technology to enhance education and demonstrates how cross-service collaboration can lead to impactful, real-world improvements for learners in Powys.

Since summer 2025, the services have worked together to create a bilingual tool that enables teachers to quickly assess pupils’ reading ages and instantly adapt texts to suit individual learner needs.

With functionality in both English and Welsh, the tool is currently being trialled in four Powys schools: Archdeacon Griffiths CiW School, Gwernyfed High School, Newtown High School, and Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd.

A wider rollout is planned for November 2025.

The tool is designed to:

  • Save teachers time by streamlining reading age assessments.
  • Support adaptive teaching by modifying texts to match learners’ reading levels.
  • Promote equity by ensuring all pupils can access curriculum content.
  • Encourage independent learning through personalised reading materials.

Public Perceptions Survey from Dyfed Powys Police: We Need Your Viewpoint

Dyfed Powys Police are inviting residents across Dyfed-Powys to share their thoughts on policing and community safety through their Public Perceptions Survey. Your feedback helps them understand how safe you feel, where improvements are needed, and how they can build stronger partnerships with communities. Every response guides decision-making and ensures your voice shapes policing services in our region. 

Powys County Council leads cross-border initiative to boost visitor economy 

A new strategy with the aim of revitalising tourism across the Marches is being developed by the Marches Forward Partnership (MFP).

Led by Powys County Council for the MFP, a specially commissioned feasibility study, sets out a roadmap for enhancing the region’s appeal to visitors over the next three to five years.

The study, created by Rieth Consulting, identifies a series of strategic projects aimed at improving access, promoting local heritage, and showcasing the area’s natural beauty and culinary excellence.

Consumer research conducted as part of the study revealed that while the Marches is widely described as “beautiful, peaceful, relaxing, scenic, quiet, green, historic, rural, interesting and natural,” half of respondents had never visited the area. This gap highlights the need for targeted marketing and infrastructure improvements.

Among the key proposals are:

Marketing the Marches: A coordinated campaign to raise the region’s profile through cross-border branding and data-driven promotion.

  • Walking with Offa / March the Marches: Restoration and conservation of Offa’s Dyke and surrounding trails, coupled with improved access and visitor experiences.
  • Access the Marches: Initiatives to support car-free travel to countryside destinations, making tourism more sustainable.
  • Pure Marches: A lifestyle-focused campaign celebrating local food, drink, and gentle walking routes.
  • The Marches Story: A digital and physical interpretation programme to bring the region’s rich history to life.
  • The Marches Festival: A branding strategy to unify and amplify existing events under a single umbrella.

The proposals will be the subject of a dedicated MFP workshop in November, where stakeholders will discuss next steps and begin shaping business cases for priority projects.

The Marches Forward Partnership includes councils from Shropshire, Powys, Herefordshire, and Monmouthshire, working together to unlock investment and deliver transformational change across the England-Wales border

Mid Wales projects move into prototype stage to deliver real-world clean energy solutions

Growing Mid Wales is delighted to confirm that the Whole System Research for Innovation and Decarbonisation (WSRID) programme will continue, supported by Welsh Government funding. Following successful feasibility work in Phase 1 at the start of 2025, several projects have now received support, with approximately £500,000 of Welsh Government climate innovation funding earmarked for progress into Phase 2, where they will combine efforts to develop prototypes and demonstrators.

This will enable real-world testing, refinement, and the creation of scalable, commercially viable solutions for a low-carbon rural economy.

The three projects moving forward with Phase 2 funding are:

1.HARVEST (Holistic Agricultural and Rural Virtual Energy System Transition) – Led by the Centre for Energy Equality with partners Severn Wye Energy Agency, Challoch Energy, Cardiff University, Energy Local and Llanidloes Futures. HARVEST will demonstrate how rural communities can generate, share, and store renewable energy. In addition, HARVEST is benefitting from separate funding of £660,000 from Ynni Cymru, awarded directly to the Llanidloes community group, to expand local generation and storage capacity.

2. LAFAN – Led by Lafan CYF with Coleg Sir Gâr / Coleg Ceredigion, this project focuses on sustainable utilisation of livestock slurry for renewable energy generation and nutrient management. 

3. W2W (Water to Water) – Delivered by W2W with First Milk, Thornton Tomasetti, OnGen and CamNesa Consulting, W2W is creating a free, user-friendly web tool to help dairy farmers achieve net zero.

All Phase 2 funding is provided by the Welsh Government via Growing Mid Wales. Over the next year these projects will begin building and testing prototypes, with results expected in 2026. 

These projects show how innovation, collaboration, and community involvement can go hand in hand to deliver real-world solutions. By testing and demonstrating new approaches in our region, we are helping to create a stronger, fairer, and greener energy system – and providing models that can be replicated across Wales and beyond.”

Updates on the projects will be shared in the Growing Mid Wales newsletter – email growingmidwales@ceredigion.gov.uk to be added to the mailing list.

‘Home Safe Home’

Trading Standards Wales (TSW) warns that whilst rogue traders carrying out work on your home could leave you out of pocket, there is an increasing risk that they will also leave your home unsafe.

Trading Standards is commonly seeing unsafe work carries out by traders who have previously run compliant local businesses, but are tempted by the opportunity to earn big money and take on large scale projects that they are often incapable of doing, lacking the expertise or resource.  Investigations often uncover an underestimation for work cost, which results in deposits from new customers being used to cover earlier underfunded contracts, in a ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ situation.  This quickly spirals out of control and consumers are left with work that is incomplete, misdescribed, dangerous and of very little value, and facing not only financial hardship but also embarrassment and mental anguish.

Trading Standards also notes that the consumers are no longer limited to your typical vulnerable consumer associated with this type of crime, but are often much younger, more savvy and have spent time researching traders before entering into the contracts.

Examples include:

·         A consumer’s skylight secured with what appeared to be mastic sealant and consequently blew off in high winds smashing against another garden building;

·         A consumer being left with no warm water, a cold, unsafe house, no kitchen, no dining room and a house open to the elements for a year;

·         A consumer living and cooking in his lounge with live electrical cables dangling from the ceiling. The trader had left the electrics in such a state that when an electrician attended in his view the house had been left like a ticking time bomb.

Increasingly, court cases brought by Trading Standards in Wales are resulting in custodial sentences, but a lack of available funds or assets means that consumers are not able to recoup money through the criminal or civil courts.

Trading Standards Wales is offering caution to consumers when they are looking for tradespeople to carry out work in their home, with messaging to:

  • Obtain a written quote and description of works to be done in advance
  • Obtain the full name and address of the business
  • To obtain information about the statutory cooling off period, during which you can consider both the cost, the work involved and whether that trader is right for you
  • Agree that any further work that is found to need doing, is communicated to allow you to make a decision if you want to progress
  • Paying by credit or debit card will offer additional protections should anything go wrong
  • Obtain full names and note descriptions of people working on your home, as well as registration number, description and any signage on vehicles used
  • Consider searching through an approved trade body, which often offer mediation if things go wrong.

Trading Standards Wales is launching the all-Wales Buy with Confidence scheme during Trading Standards Spotlight week.  We know there are many genuine businesses out there, whose name is being tarnished by those less than honest operators in trade. 

To coincide with Trading Standards Wales Spotlight, we are offering a first year fee discount for Welsh businesses who sign up to the Buy With Confidence scheme between 13th November and 31st March 2026, using the offer code ‘Spotlight’.

Businesses can find out more via the Buy with Confidence website which can be found here: Buy with confidence and can find out more details about the Spotlight week offer on the TSW website.

For further information, please go to: www.tradingstandards.gov.wales/en/tswweek

‘Leave only pawprints’: Powys County Council teams up with Keep Wales Tidy to tackle dog fouling 

With instances of dog fouling known to increase as daylight hours shorten, Powys County Council is working with Keep Wales Tidy on its dog fouling campaign, ‘Leave Only Pawprints’. As darker evenings and poor weather set in, some owners may think they won’t be seen failing to pick up or may be less willing to stop in the cold and rain, but the impact on our shared spaces is even greater than previously thought.

New research from Aberystwyth University has found that dog faeces not picked up by owners often contains higher levels of harmful parasites and bacteria. According to the study, this is because this waste is more likely to come from dogs that aren’t properly cared for or regularly wormed by their owners.

While Keep Wales Tidy’s LEAMS (Local Environmental Audit and Management System) surveys show a downward trend in reported dog fouling on streets, the charity warns that the issue remains widespread in areas not captured by the surveys, including parks, verges and rural paths.

Funded by Welsh Government, the campaign aims to encourage dog owners across Wales to leave only pawprints by picking up after their dog.

‘Get Cosmetic Confident

Trading Standards Wales (TSW) is issuing a strong warning to consumers about the growing threat posed by illegal and counterfeit cosmetic products being both on high street shops and online. These products are often marketed as high-end or professional-grade beauty solutions, but they can contain toxic and banned substances that pose serious health risks.

Counterfeit or unauthorised cosmetics imported from abroad or purchased from online marketplaces have been found to contain arsenic, lead, mercury, and even animal waste, which can cause severe skin irritation, infections, chemical burns, and long-term health complications for consumers.   Examples of recent concerns include:

  • Illegal skin lightening creams often contain hydroquinone, mercury, and corticosteroids, which can lead to skin damage, pregnancy complications, and even osteoporosis.
  • Teeth whitening kits sold online have been seized with hydrogen peroxide levels up to 300 times the legal limit, risking burns and permanent gum damage.
  • UV gel nail systems marketed for home use contain acrylates that can trigger allergic reactions and permanent skin damage.
  • “At-home” lash lift and tint kits have become popular, but they come with serious risks. These products should only be applied by salon professionals, and they should not be used at home
  • Nasal tanning sprays, or nasal tanners, promise an all-over tan without sun exposure. However, they are unregulated, can be unsafe, and contain potentially risky substances like Melanotan 2.

Highlighting these risks recent investigations by several Trading Standards Teams across Wales have led to retailers being prosecuted for selling products not fit for sale in the UK market.

In 2024 Shared Regulatory Services (SRS) prosecuted at retailer in Cardiff who was selling cosmetic products from his Cardiff premises, that were not intended for the UK market, and which failed to comply with product safety law. Officers initially visited the premises and provided detailed advice on what needed to be done to comply with the law and trade safely.

Nevertheless, the advice was ignored and non-compliant product lines continued to be stocked.  Officers seized a number of products which contained hydroquinone – a substance which is prohibited in cosmetic products. Other products on sale were medicinal products which can only be legally sold or supplied to the public through a registered pharmacy premises or by/ under the supervision of a pharmacist. In addition, some product lines had no labelling or ingredients list on the packaging.  In this case the owner pleaded guilty to the offences.

This is just the first of a string of cases relating to cosmetics that Welsh Trading Standard Authorities are bringing to court.

Following the Chartered Training Standards Institute (CTSI) recent #CostofBeauty campaigns and recent issues identified in Wales, TSW would remind consumers of the following advice when buying cosmetics: 

  • Buy cosmetics only from reputable suppliers.
  • Avoid products labelled “for professional use only” unless applied by a trained professional.
  • Products bought from online marketplaces can be counterfeit or contaminated. Avoid products without regulatory approval.
  • Report unsafe or suspicious products to your local Trading Standards team.

TSW would also remind consumers that certain cosmetic beauty treatments—such as tattooing, semi-permanent makeup, body piercing, acupuncture, and electrolysis—are now regulated under the Special Procedures Licensing Scheme, introduced in Wales on 29 November 2024.

This scheme ensures practitioners meet strict hygiene and infection control standards, reducing the risk of harm. In Wales anyone offering these services must hold a Special Procedure Licence and operate from an approved premises or vehicle. 

TSW would advise consumers that before booking a treatment:

  • Check that the practitioner is licensed under the new scheme using the Special Procedures Wales Public Register,
  • Verify that the premises or mobile unit has an approval certificate.
  • Avoid unlicensed operators, as they may not meet essential safety standards.

For more information on the Special Procedures Licensing Scheme, contact your local Licensing or Environmental Health Teams.

For further information, please go to: www.tradingstandards.gov.wales/en/tswweek

‘Avoid Christmas Catastrophe’

Trading Standards Wales (TSW) warns that for the most part, consumer products offered for sale either on the high street or online are safe. However, dangerous products continue to be supplied to unsuspecting consumers.

The horror stories of spikes holding dollies heads on, finger slicing entrapment hazards and house fire starting electrical goods are not a thing of the past. Dangerous products are still present in the marketplace.

The most recent and high-profile example is the craze for “Labubu” dolls.

Trading Standards Wales is offering caution to consumers when they are looking to purchase consumer products

  • Always buy from a legitimate and established source.
  • Avoid sales on social media
  • Look for obvious errors on the product, such as spelling mistakes and conflicting warnings
  • Look for the CE or UKCA mark and the name and address of the manufacturer or importer.
  • Check the price, if it’s unusually cheap that could be a warning sign

Consumers and businesses with information of suppliers of potentially unsafe goods can contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133

For further information, please go to: www.tradingstandards.gov.wales/en/tswweek